Everyone knows that regular exercise is good for the body. But exercise is also one of the most effective ways to improve your mental health. Regular exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on depression, anxiety, ADHD, and more. It can also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts your overall mood. We hear this all the time from our members, that when they started at CrossFit Durst, they were going through a hard time and that CrossFit is now a huge part of their mental health regiment.

With this in mind, we here at CrossFit Durst in Brantford are hosting a charitable day on January 30th where we are opening our doors to anyone in the community to come out and try a class. We will be taking donations to Bell’s Lets Talk campaign. Our workout that day will have the option to do solo or grab a partner and share the workload. We believe that fitness is just as important to the mind as it is the body. Please join us on January 30th to take part, raise awareness and donations for Mental Health Awareness.

“Depressed, constantly anxious, overwhelmed, irritated and unable to relax or enjoy anything, I made the decision to go to an on-ramp class at a local CrossFit box. To be honest, my goal when walking into that first class on July 4, 2014, was to make it through without crying and without letting on that something was wrong. After I clumsily tried to learn new skills, used a barbell for the first time and did an extremely modified WOD designed for beginners, something unexpected happened.

For the first time in weeks, I felt like I could breathe. The weight on my chest had let up. My body was so spent from the workout, muscles shaking, that I was finally able to do what I had been failing to do for weeks: relax. It felt like all the blood seeped from my brain to my muscles and left me without enough power to think. It was incredible.” - Amy Kievit

Kievit said CrossFit's group setting is great for people who are dealing with anxiety because it reduces the stress a person might experience in a one-on-one session. It also creates community.